Station-indicator



No. 6|3,'320. Patentedl Nov. I, |898. W. C. SCHAPER.

sTATloN INDICATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 26, 1896.) No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WL neas e@ mre m Patented. Nov. I, |898.

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N am (Application filed Aug 26, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2'. sie- L (No Model.)

/w/ ////Wf../../\/// UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. SCHAPER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,320, dated November 1, 189g. Application filed August 26, 1896. Serial No. 604,035l (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. SOIIAPER, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Indicators for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in street-indicators for railway-cars; and it consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

The object of my invention is to construct a device which is placed insideof either end of a car and by which the names of the various streets along the line are displayed.

It consists of a series of rollers conveying a belt or curtain on which the names are printed and is propelled by a cord passed through the car, which is manipulated by the conductor or motorneer.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a car with parts broken away showing my improved indicator placed therein. Fig. 2 is a face view of the indicator, showing the name of a street. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line a d of Fig. 7. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line b b of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line c c of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line d d of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on the line e cof Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line ff of Fig 6.

In the drawings,1 represents a portion of the body of an ordinary street-car, on the side of which are placed my improved indicators 2, which consist of a frame or boxing 3, having in its one side an elongated opening 4, in which is placed a glass 5, through which the names of the streets can be read. Within said boxing 3 and at each end is a casting 6, to which the revolving mechanism is held and secured, and upon said casting 6 are formed two square sockets 7, in which are held the square ends 8 of the shafts 9,which carry and upon which revolve the rollers 10.

The rollers 10 are mounted loosely upon the shafts 9 by means of collars 11, held by screws and connected to a ratchet-wheel 12 by bolts or otherwise, (see Fig. 4,) and between said ratchet-wheel 12 and collars 11 are held flanges 13, extending some distance beyond the entire circumference of the rollers, which act as a guide for the scroll or tape, belt, or curtain 14, which is adapted to be rolled around said rollers 10. As the actuating mechanism provided for each of these rollers is identical, I will describe but one thereof, which will be understood to apply to the other also.

Upon the shaft 9 and on the side of the ratchet-wheel l2 is a grooved anged wheel 15, in which is a depression 16, provided for the reception of a spiral spring 17, one end of which :is fastened to the shaft 9 and the other end to the wheel15. (See Figs. 4and 6.)

To the one side of the Wheel 15 is held by a bolt a dog 18,which is adapted to come in contact with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel12, and revolves said roller when the wheel 15 is turned by means of a steel tape 19, or otherwise, which is secured in the groove of said wheel 15, and when the tape 19 is pulled upon it turns t-he wheel 15, carrying with it the dog 1S, which engages the ratchet-wheel 12, thereby turning said roller 10,winding up the belt 14, and showing the name of the coming street or station.

The wheel 15 is held in place by a nut 20, secured upon the shaft 9. Between the roll ers 10 and mounted upon the castings 6 is a frame 21, carrying two rollers 22,which come in contact with and press against the belt as it is being wound or unwound upon the roll ers 10. The adjustment is so that by the use of coil-springs 23 each roller is pressed against the belt or curtain upon its adjacent windingroller 10, keeping it wound tightly thereon during the entire operation of the device. To the casting 6 are also mounted rollers 24, over which the belt or curtain is passed in order to bring the name at all times equally before the glass in the opening. (See Fig. 5.) Said rollers are provided at their end with a onetoothed ratchet 25, secured thereto in any desirable manner, and in operative relation therewith and on aline with the steel tape 19 is a double dog 26,which comes in contact with the said ratchet 25, and released therefrom IOO when desired by one finger of said dog passing through an elongated slot 27, formed in the tape 19. This is for the purpose of allowing the said rollers to turn but once around. In order to bring the steel tape 19 in exact connection with said dog, guide or friction pulleys 28 are mounted upon the casting, over which said steel tapes are carried, from which they pass through an opening 29, formed in the boxing 3 on one side of the opening. (See Fig. 2.) On the side of said opening and in a plate 30, in which the openings are formed, is centrally hinged an arm 31, having secured to each end rods 32,which pass through openings and into the boxing communicating with the dogs 18, mounted upon the wheels 15. This is for the purpose of throwing said dogs in and out of contact, which is required in practical operation.

Vhen one end of the arm 31 is pressed down, (see Fig. 6,) the arm on that end disconnects the dog 18 from ratchet-Wheel 12 on the roller, (marked a.) This then allows the said roller to unwind, and the dog on the other roller being in contact it allows said roller to wind up the belt when the steel tape controlling the wheel 15 of said roller is manipulated. The dogs are operated vice versa, according to the direction and on which roller the belt is adapted to be wound.

To one side of the wheel 15 is a projection 33, which comes in contact with a lug or projection 34, formed on the casting (i (see Fig. 4) for the purpose of allowing said wheel and roller to make but one revolution when the tape on said wheel is manipulated, and the tension of the spiral spring 17, attached to the wheel 15, forces said wheel back to its normal position, allowing the dog 18 to freely slide over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 12.

On some occasions the belt while being wound has a tendency to loose or form slack over the rollers 24, and to prevent this idlers 35 are placed against the rollers 24, pressing against the belt, holding it stretched tightly from roller to roller in the space through which the names are read.

It is necessary to lock the arm 31 when manipulated in order to preserve the adjustment of the rods 32 in relation to the dogs 18, as before described, and to do this I provide a metallic strip 3G, hingedly secured to the plate 30, and is provided with two holes 37, in which the end of the arm 31 is passed and held. (See Fig. G.) IVhen it is desired to disengage the dog from the ratchet on roller a, the arm 3l is pressed in and held by the lower hole, and in the top hole when the dog on the other roller is disengaged.

lVithin the car and on the end I secure my improved indicators, preferably two, one of which designates the street on which the car is running, referring to the one marked Iine str, and the other sets forth the names of all cross-streets or stations along the line. In this manner the passengers know the names of the street on which they are being conveyed and also the crossstreet or station along the line, thus making it very convenient for them and also for the operator of the car.

Vhen the car is at its destination and switches for the return run, the indicator is removed from the end on which it is now hung and placed on the opposite end and connected to the pull-cord by which it is operated, and then the arm 31 is manipulated, which reverses the rollers, showing the streets on its return.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an improved street-indicator for railway-cars, having two rollers mounted upon stationary shafts, each roller provided with a ratchet, wheels carrying dogs mounted upon said shafts, said wheels controlled by spiral springs having one end secured to the shafts and the other to the wheels, said dogs adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheels upon said rollers to revolve the same, said wheels rotated by tapes secured thereto and passing through one side of the casing, a belt or curtain carrying the naines of streets adapted to be wound upon said rollers, a rod or rods passed through a plate movably secured to the casing, said rods extending into the casing communicating with the dogs upon said wheels for releasing the same,- a plate secured to the outer casing, an arm mounted upon the plate, said arm held in position bya strip provided with holes, said strip hinged to said plate, for the purpose as shown and described.

2. In an improved street-indicator for rail-v way-cars, composed of two rollers mounted upon stationary shafts, a belt or curtain having the names of streets printed thereon secured to the rollers and adapted to be wound thereon, guide-rollers provided, over which said belt or curtain is passed, a ratchet placed at the end of each guide-roller, dogs engaging said ratchets and released therefrom by one finger of itself passing through a slot in the tape, by which the wheels are operated, idlers placed against the tape passing over the guiderollers, a frame provided with rollers, coilsprings mounted between said rollers, said rollers adjusted to the conformity of the belt or curtain upon said rollers, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a street-indicator for railway-cars, the combination of two rollers uponA which is adapted to be wound a belt or curtain, guide rollers provided with ratchets, with which come in contact dogs, to allow said guide-roller to revolve but once around,said belt or curtain passed over said guide rollers and tightly stretched by idlers preventing said belt or curtain from slacking between the guide-rollers behind the glass, said belt or curtain wound by a steel tape secured to wheels mounted upon the shafts holding the two rollers, said tape guided over a friction-pulley also operating the dogs to release the guiderollers, rods secured to an arm and regulating ICO IIO

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the dogs secured to said wheels when operating said rollers,a frame earryin g rollers placed between the belt-rollers, to tighten the belt or curtain as it is being Wound upon said rollers, substantially as set forth.

4. In a street-indicator for railway-oars, having a easing, castings mounted within said casing at its ends, rollers supported by said castings, two rollers mounted upon stationary shafts held by said castings, wheels mounted upon said shafts carrying dogs which come in contact with ratchet-wheels formed on the end of the two rollers, and operated by tapes secured to said wheels, said dogs disengaged from said ratchet-wheels by means of rods, secured to each end of a centrally-hinged 

